


You Give Me Your Armor, and You Can Have My Heart

by celestialbisexual



Category: Hellblazer & Related Fandoms, Justice League Dark (Comics)
Genre: Blood, Demons, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Cannabalism, Multi, but like it's mostly a metaphor don't worry, injuries, nick is absolute garbage at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 15:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13010424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialbisexual/pseuds/celestialbisexual
Summary: John gets hurt on a mission, and Nick tries to hold everything together





	You Give Me Your Armor, and You Can Have My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This one is kind of messy, but it my defense I just finished finals week. Also I know there's not enough Zee in this one, I promise she'll be around more in the future. Please let me know if there's anything else I need to tag, and please please please comment! Thanks!
> 
> Title is from Tin Man by Miranda Lambert, because I refuse to title Nick-centric works with anything but country songs

The irony of the whole thing is that John was the only one who wanted to take the case. The kid had showed up on their doorstep with her fucking babysitting money and a story about a demon that could rip a guy to shreds in seconds, that had torn her parents apart in front of her, and wouldn’t they please help her?

Nick wanted to slam the door in her face. It’s cruel, sure, but there’s no way in Hell he’s getting killed over some kid he barely knows, and this demon sounds like some serious fucking shit.

Even Zatanna, with her heart of gold, hadn’t wanted to take the case. Wanted to call her father. Nick tended to object to that, on principle, but she was right this time. This was above their pay grade. 

But Johnny, with his hero complex and his thing about kids, took one look at her and it was all over. And then they had to go, because if they didn’t he’d just charge in without them. Nick and Zee had learned that one the hard way, and they weren’t about to let it happen again.

Not that it mattered, because he was useless and slow and John was hurt because Nick was weak and he couldn’t protect him-

“Nick!” Zee sounded like she’d been screaming for awhile. She was kneeling next to John, her hands coated in red. “Nick, please. I need-”

There was a corpse in his hands. The demon’s, he realized belatedly. He didn’t remember killing it. He dropped the corpse and rushed to her side. 

“What do you need?” He asked. His voice was strange in his ears, far away and rusty.

“He needs- he needs a hospital, or an actual healer. I can’t- I can’t close this, I can barely keep him alive. I’m going to go get help. Can you stabilize him until I get back?”

He nodded, and Zee transferred John’s head and shoulders into his lap. Nick pressed his hand to the gash in his chest, terrifyingly deep and still bleeding sluggishly, and tried to focus on keeping John’s blood and organs inside of his body. 

“Come here often?” John muttered, eyes closed. 

Nick stroked John’s cheek absently with his free hand, leaving brownish-black streaks of demon blood on his pale skin. “You’re an idiot. What the hell were you thinking?”

“It would’ve hit you.” John grumbled. 

“I can take care of myself.” Nick snapped. John flinched, curling into himself. Nick closed his eyes, breathed deep, like Zee did before a big show. He was useless to John if he couldn’t keep calm. 

“It’s okay, John. I’m not mad.” He said, gently as he could manage, running his hand through John’s hair. 

“You sound mad.” John accused, craning his neck awkwardly to squint up at Nick.

“Well, I’m not. So there.” Nick said. John mumbled something about Nick being ridiculous and bossy, but he relaxed. Nick closed his eyes and focused on the healing magic, on speeding the clotting of blood and knitting of flesh, tried not to panic because he was absolutely useless at healing magic. 

It was almost calm, for a moment. He did not build, did not heal, but he knew John. He knew the lines of his body and the rhythm of his pulse. There was something about being inside John like this that felt… organic. Like an extension of their bond, bodies melded together right along with their souls. If Nick reached up, he could cradle John’s heart in his palms, rip it out and swallow it down so that he would always have it.

He was not quite a good enough liar to pretend the idea wasn’t appealing. 

“John.” His voice came out hushed and reverent. John didn’t stir. He tried again. “John, I need you to stay awake.”

John groaned. “Don’t wanna.”

“If you fall asleep now you could die.” Nick said. He was pretty sure that was how shock worked. At any rate, his heartbeat was slowing down, and that was almost definitely bad. 

John gave a half-shrug, and then winced at the movement. “S’alright.”

“It is not alright. You are not going to die.” He commanded, like a prayer, like a spell. 

He didn’t realize his hands were shaking until cold fingers enfolded his own. 

John was staring up at him with terrifying fondness. “Hey now. Don’t you go worrying your pretty head about me. I’m not leaving you.”

He reached up to touch Nick’s cheek, and Nick turned and kissed his palm. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He warned. 

John just smiled, like it was the easiest promise in the world to keep. Like he could spin forever out of pretty words and sweet smiles and love.

Maybe he could. Nick’d seen him do more fantastic things. 

Nick slumped over John and let his awareness narrow to John’s body, the flow of blood moving through him. Zee was coming, and soon things would be alright.


End file.
